Operatives of State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Panti-Yaba, Lagos, have arraigned six members of Church of Christ, on alleged conspiracy, cyber-bullying and defamation of character, before a Lagos Federal High Court.
Members of the church that were arraigned by Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa led-court are: James Agwu Udu, Kennedy Chukwuemeka, Enoch Richard Onyenma, Samuel Abu, Francish Onah and Stephen Akpan.
The defendants who are members of Isheri-Osun parish of the church, were arraigned before the court on Thursday, on four counts charge of the offences.
During their arraignment, Barrister Nosa Walter Uhumwangho announced his appearance for prosecution, while Barrister Benjamin C. Nwafor and Ibunkunoluwa Olu-Jacobs, announced their appearance for the defendants and the nominal complainant respectively.
Arraigning all the defendants, the prosecutor, Uhumwangho, told the court that the six defendants and others now at large, committed the offences between September 10 and 15, 2023,
The prosecutor told the court that the defendants and others at large, conspired among themselves and published a defamatory statement against a member of the church, Sunkanmi A. Vaughan.
The prosecutor also told the court that the defendants, did knowingly and unlawfully cause transmission of a communication via Whatsapp platform, which was transmitted all members of “Church of Christ” and also forwarded to Mr. Sunkanmi A Vaughan via his whatsapp number 0803*******, which was grossly offensive, false and for the purpose of causing annoyance, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, or needless anxiety, to the prejudice of Mr. Sunkanmi A. Vaughan and his entire family members.
He told the court the defendants’ alleged offences, contravened Section 517 and 374 of the Criminal Code, Cap C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. And punishable under section 375 of the same Act.
He also told the court that the actions contravened Sections 27 and 24(1)(b)(2)(a)(i) of the Cybercrimes (prohibition, prevention, ETC) Act, 2015.
The defendants denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charges, when it was read to them.
Following their not guilty plea, the prosecutor asked the court for a trial date and equally urged the court to remand the defendants till the determination of the charges against them.
But lawyer to the defendants, Nwafor, orally applied for his clients bail, with the undertaking to produce them in court till when the charges against them are disposed off.
The lawyer told the court that his clients were previously arraigned before a Lagos magistrate court and they were religiously attending the court without default.
The prosecutor however opposed lawyer’s oral bail application.
However, the presiding judge, after taking arguments from counsel, admitted bail to each of the defendants in the sum of N10 million with two sureties.
The judge ruled that the sureties must be landed property owners within the court’s jurisdiction.
Justice Lewis-Allagoa, while adjourned the matter to May 29, for commencement of trial, however released the defendants to Pastor of the church, Pastor Akanji Joshua Ayobami, till when they will meet the bail terms.
Count One of the Amended Charge Marked FHC/L/239c/2024 reads: “that you, James Agwu Udu ‘m’, Kennedy Chukwuemeka ‘m’, Enoch Richard Onyenma ‘m’, Samuel Abu ‘m’, Francish Onah ‘m’, Stephen Akpan ‘m’ and others at large being members of Church of Christ on 10″ day of September, 2023, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of the Honourable Court, did conspire together to commit felony to wit: publishing defamatory matter and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 517 of the Criminal Code, Cap C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”
And The Last Count Reads: “that you, James Agwu Udu ‘m’, Kennedy Chukwuemeka ‘m’, Enoch Richard Onyenma ‘m’, Samuel Abu ‘m’, Francish Onah ‘m’‘, Stephen Akpan ‘m’ and others at large being members of Church of Christ, on the same date, time and ace, in the aforesaid judicial division, did knowingly, illegally and unlawfully cause transmission of a communication via Whatsapp platform, which was transmitted all members of “Church of Christ” and also forwarded to Mr. Sunkanmi A Vaughan via his whatsapp number 08036*****, which is grossly offensive, false and for the purpose of causing annoyance, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, or needless anxiety, to the prejudice of Mr. Sunkanmi A. Vaughan and his entire family members and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 24(1)(b)(2)(a)(i) of the Cybercrimes (prohibition, prevention, ETC) Act, 2015 .
